Firmenich Receives MSC Certification for its Seafood Flavors

Posted: January 30, 2014

Firmenich has received certification to the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Chain of Custody standard for its seafood flavors produced from North East Atlantic codfish, saithe and haddock.

MSC Chain of Custody Certification verifies that any MSC-labeled products originate from fisheries that are certified to the MSC standard for well-managed and sustainable fisheries. This means that the origin fishery operates in manner that keeps fish stocks, other marine life and eco systems healthy. It also indicates that the origin fishery has made efforts to minimize its environmental impact, abides by all local, national and international laws, and operates under the guidance of accepted scientific findings to ensure sustainable use of the marine resources.

“Receiving MSC-certification is a fantastic sustainability achievement for our seafood business,” said Aldo Uva, president of Firmenich Flavors. “Firmenich is committed to building and supporting sustainable business models within the flavor industry and this is a true reflection of our dedication,” he added.

The Firmenich seafood facility in Ålesund, on the West coast of Norway and with access to fish from the North Atlantic and the Barentz Sea, processes 10,000 tons of seafood raw materials annually. These raw materials are largely by-products from the seafood industry. Firmenich converts the by-product, which had previously been disposed of into the sea, to create seafood extracts and flavors such as codfish, shrimp, lobster, crab, squid and other popular seafood tonalities which are used in soup, stocks, sauces and ready-to-eat meals. By minimizing by-products from the seafood industry and maximizing the value created from the marine resources, Firmenich said it can help meet the market demand for seafood flavors without adding an extra burden on fish stocks.

The facility focuses on 25 seafood natural materials and 11 species of fish, all which have been caught in the wild. Eighty six percent of the total seafood raw material comes from MSC-certified fisheries. The remaining 14% is from smaller fisheries that are in the process of certification.